Biden urges Israel to wind down Gaza offensive as international pressure grows

19 May 2021, 07:38 | Updated: 19 May 2021, 07:44

Joe Biden and US officials have encouraged Israel to wind down the bombardment of Gaza as international objections to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas grow.

The US President expressed his "support" for a ceasefire between Israel and Gaza's militant Hamas rulers in a call to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday.

But while in public President Biden has stopped short of urging Israel to bring fighting to a close, behind the scenes top administration officials have reportedly urged Mr Netanyahu to wind down operations soon.

Israel has been told by the US that time is not on their side as international objections grow, according to officials speaking to the Associated Press.

The White House official added that the Israelis have signalled it is possible their military campaign could end in a matter of days, as the conflict enters its tenth day.

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The diplomatic efforts come as France prepares a UN Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire. So far the US has repeatedly blocked Security Council statements expressing concern about the fighting.

A statement has also been released by EU foreign ministers demanding an immediate end to the fighting.

Since the fighting began last Monday, the Israeli military has launched hundreds of air strikes it says are targeting Hamas's militant infrastructure, while Palestinian militants have fired more than 3,400 rockets from civilian areas in Gaza at civilian targets in Israel.

At least 213 Palestinians have been killed in air strikes, including 61 children and 36 women, with more than 1,440 people wounded, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

Twelve people in Israel, including a five-year-old boy and a soldier, have been killed in the ongoing rocket attacks.

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The war has also seen an unusual outbreak of violence in Israel, with groups of Jewish and Palestinian citizens fighting in the streets and torching vehicles and buildings.

Palestinians across the region have begun a general strike in an uncommon show of unity between those Palestinians living in Israel and those living in the West Bank and Gaza.

Muhammad Barakeh, one of the organisers of the strike, said Palestinians are expressing a "collective position" against Israel's "aggression" in Gaza and Jerusalem, as well as the "brutal repression" by police across Israel.

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However, Israel blames the war on Hamas and accuses it of inciting violence across the region.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the bombardments had set the Palestinian militants back many years.

"I am sure that all our enemies around us see the price we have levied for the aggression against us," he said, speaking in front of an F-16 fighter jet at an air force base.